Half of young people who consume energy drinks experience an adverse effect: Study

A Canadian study by researchers from the University of Waterloo discovered that caffeinated energy drinks cause adverse side effects in more than half of the young people who take them. They determined this through a web-based survey, the results of which were published in CMAJ Open.

Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of young people taking energy drinks, which contain stimulants like caffeine, sugars, vitamins, amino acids, and herbal supplements. This is a great cause for concern since younger people are more susceptible to the harmful effects of these ingredients, especially caffeine.

Countless studies have looked at the adverse effects of energy drinks in young people. However, the majority of these are limited to short-term effects.

In this study, the researchers evaluated the adverse effects of energy drinks in young adults through a web-based survey involving 2,055 respondents.

Initially, the survey asked if the participant had ever tried energy drinks. If they answered yes, the survey proceeded to ask if they had experienced side effects, like headaches, shaking, difficulty sleeping, fast heartbeat, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, decreased sexual performance, or dental pain, and if they’ve sought medical attention because of these problems.

To serve as a reference for the risks of energy drink consumption, the researchers also assessed the adverse effects of drinking coffee.

From this study, the researchers found that 55.4 percent of participants who had taken energy drinks suffered from at least one side effect, proving that these caffeinated beverages should be avoided.